Early Frost Means?

An early frost should not be taken as a sign that the upcoming winter will be a cold one. Likewise, an early snow is not an indication of a snowy winter. While these preseason jolts of weather can be a shock to the system, they are more the result of a random act of weather than a sign of impending doom.

In order to get temperatures to fall below freezing several weeks earlier than average, it takes a cool air mass that times itself just right so that light wind and clear skies happen right around sunrise. A cold winter requires a weather pattern through the winter that frequently brings air from high latitudes into our region. Similarly, an early snow is not an indicator of a persistent snowy pattern.

Note: this is not to say that we will not have a mild winter. This is just to say that an early frost is not a sign.

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ABOUT

Like any meteorologist, John Wheeler is intrigued by extremes of weather, especially arctic air outbreaks and winter storms. John says he prefers his summers to be hot but in winter, he prefers the cold. John has been a meteorologist at WDAY since May 1985.